Road King Magazine » Drivers Seathttp://roadking.com Lifestyle, Health & Trucking News for Over-the-Road TruckersFri, 24 Jul 2015 21:34:10 +0000en-UShourly1When truckers have questions, other truckers often have the best answershttp://roadking.com/truckers/when-truckers-have-questions-other-truckers-often-have-the-best-answers/ http://roadking.com/truckers/when-truckers-have-questions-other-truckers-often-have-the-best-answers/#commentsFri, 01 May 2015 21:27:43 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=10631Even the most experienced drivers can find themselves in situations that only another trucker will understand. When help is needed, these organizations bring truckers together to share information. The goal is to make trucking safer, more profitable and more pleasant for everyone. Ask a Veteran Driver was created to build the camaraderie among truckers and […]

]]>Even the most experienced drivers can find themselves in situations that only another trucker will understand. When help is needed, these organizations bring truckers together to share information. The goal is to make trucking safer, more profitable and more pleasant for everyone.

Ask a Veteran Driverwas created to build the camaraderie among truckers and help rookies who have completed their time with trainers, yet have more questions and need somewhere to turn. Questions are answered on their website and Facebook page. Most importantly, they encourage face-to-face contact. Veteran truckers can register at the website and purchase a decal to display on their trucks. It lets others know that the driver inside is willing and able to answer trucking questions.

Women In Truckingencourages both male and female drivers to connect on their Facebook page. Those thinking about getting into trucking as a career, just-graduated student truckers and all levels of experienced truckers can come and ask questions, share experiences and gather information about life and work on the road.

Revenue: Knowing Rates and Lanesis a Facebook page for owner-operators, either leased to a carrier or with their own authority, who dispatch themselves and negotiate their own rates — true business owners. The site’s purpose is to help members increase their bottom lines by focusing on the overall picture, from negotiation to dispatch. Members include many successful owner-operators who have learned by trial and error the best ways to negotiate the top hauling rates.

What are the most common questions a trucker seeking help asks your group?

Ask a Veteran Driver:By far, they want to know about jobs. Newcomers just thinking about trucking, new students entering training, drivers who have completed training and are at their sixmonth mark; then one-year mark and are ready to make more money, veteran drivers who want to round out their resumes and drivers just ready for a change ask about what’s out there for them.

Women In Trucking: In the winter, drivers ask about chaining and road conditions. There are road reports from around the country from other drivers. Other common questions involve electronic logs, HOS rules and the mandatory 30-minute break. Solo drivers have constant issues with trying to manage their time. How to scale a load is another popular question. New drivers ask what they need to have on the truck: clothing, tools, gloves, bedding and so on.

Revenue: Knowing Rates and Lanes: What’s the secret to getting great rates? Of course, there is no secret, no formula, and no magic. Finding the best rates takes knowledge, skill and hard work. Our page provides the skill and knowledge and hopefully inspires them to do the necessary hard work.

What has been the most interesting question any trucker seeking help has asked?

Women In Trucking: A few months ago a trainee was left in a truck parked in a vacant parking area with no facilities while her trainer went home. Her cell signal was also very sketchy and without a key to the truck, she couldn’t take care of basic needs like charging a phone or having A/C.

The overwhelming responses from our members immediately got the company aware of the situation and the trainee was rescued and put in a hotel while they resolved issues with the trainer. In years past, without social media or a page like ours, that trainee would not have had an outpouring of support and help from her fellow truckers. No one would have known she was there and alone.

Revenue: Knowing Rates and Lanes: How do I build relationships with my customers? That’s a fantastic question because forming relationships ensures longterm success. When people ask those types of questions, they have big aspirations and long-term goals.

Ask a Veteran Driver: We’re still figuring out the answer to this one: Which states and on which roads and interstates can a trucker run overweight with permits with a multi-axle 53’ dry van? For example, Nebraska does not allow overweight loads on interstates.

What was the most helpful answer a trucker gave another trucker?

Ask a Veteran Driver: Our number one question from drivers is about whether their weight is legal in any given state and our members give them help immediately on our Facebook page. If they are asking, it usually means they need that help right away because the clock is ticking. The laws are complicated and a lot of times their dispatchers won’t have the answer. A driver can take a picture of their Cat Scale ticket, put it on our Facebook page. They may need to answer a few questions, but they will get their answer.

Women In Trucking: The most helpful answers are always to questions truckers are most passionate about. If a student trucker posts about an injustice done to them, group members are quick with support, advice and help. The most practical answers include tips on backing; it seems most trainees are never given enough instruction or practice on how to best back a tractor-trailer.

Revenue: Knowing Rates and Lanes: To remember that you and the broker both have the same goal — to move a load — and you should work together to reach that goal. It’s extremely valuable advice. The brokers aren’t the enemy, but a partner in business. Negotiating to reach a common goal tends to achieve better results than beating each other up to get the best price. It also goes a long way toward relationship building and future success!

Where would you like to see improvements in truckers helping their fellow truckers?

Ask a Veteran Driver: Bringing back courtesy and helping one another. Given the gravity of our jobs (truck driving is rated the eighth most deadly job in the country) and the size of our tractortrailers, we must work together in so many situations every day: backing, merging, fuel islands and mountain driving. Why not take that extra minute when you see someone struggling and lend a hand? Share your expertise; make a friend that day. You just might bring it back, one act of kindness at a time.

Revenue: Knowing Rates and Lanes: We have to be business owners first; always professional and courteous. Share helpful advice when you can but don’t be afraid to ask questions when you don’t know all of the answers. The most helpful thing truckers can do to truly improve the whole industry is put an end to the “lunch counter” advice, those tales about how things “really are” that often have a negative connotation about the industry.

Women In Trucking: The schools can only do so much. Companies themselves need to step up on the training. If they’re going to hire students, then they should train them correctly. How can a person who has been out on the road for only six months to a year train someone else?

Even people who have been out here many years still run into tough situations. Instead of getting on the CB and making fun of a driver or posting pictures or videos of them on Facebook, we’d like to see the person on the radio or snapping photos get out and offer assistance.

We cannot change the public’s view of us until we stand up and start helping one another.

]]>http://roadking.com/truckers/when-truckers-have-questions-other-truckers-often-have-the-best-answers/feed/1One man’s mentor helped make him the trucker he is todayhttp://roadking.com/truckers/one-mans-mentor-helped-make-trucker-today/ http://roadking.com/truckers/one-mans-mentor-helped-make-trucker-today/#commentsFri, 12 Sep 2014 15:18:22 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=10300Gregory Putnam is not surprised that his mentor and former boss, 79-year-old Ken Chenault, downplays the powerful effect his life has had on others. According to Putnam, the only thing “more Ken” than his extensive trucking knowledge is his humility. “He probably didn’t tell you that he’s saved people,” says Putnam, “once from a car […]

]]>Gregory Putnam is not surprised that his mentor and former boss, 79-year-old Ken Chenault, downplays the powerful effect his life has had on others. According to Putnam, the only thing “more Ken” than his extensive trucking knowledge is his humility.

“He probably didn’t tell you that he’s saved people,” says Putnam, “once from a car upside down in a creek; another time from a burning truck. He’s quit jobs because they wanted him to do things that were unsafe. And he’s been married to the love of his life, Tillie, for 57 years, the last few of which he’s spent helping her fight bone cancer.”

Putnam’s voice catches when he talks about how Ken responds to Tillie’s objections that he’s still trucking in order to care for her., when he should be retired. “Ken says when he married her it was for better or worse. If he had to take another job to take care of her, that’s what he would do.”

All of these things make Ken one-of-a-kind, Putnam says, but it’s his experience, honesty and work ethic that make him a great mentor.

“He’s worked hard his whole life,” says Putnam. “He started operating equipment when he was 14, and he’s never ever had a vacation. He’s totally honest, fair and logical, and when you talk to him, he makes everything relative to you, so everything makes sense.”

Straight talk trucking

“The only way you make money as a truck driver is to be driving,” says Ken Chenault. “So you’ve got to work every day. I’m 79-years-old and I’m still trucking.”

Chenault has spent six days a week and 56 years on the road, which explains where his huge bank of knowledge comes from. He talks to Putnam three or four times a week, and his approach is simple when drivers call with problems.

“If they ask the question, I try to answer it,” he says. “Most of the advice I give a driver, I’ve already made that mistake. I wasn’t born with this knowledge; I accumulated it.”

One of the pieces of advice Chenault often shares is how to recognize problems before they become problems. The most important problem a trucker can learn how to solve: getting along with people who don’t want to get along with you.

“You’re in a different state dealing with different people, and it’s a challenge to get along with everyone and keep them satisfied,” he says. But he is quick to counter that one of the great things about trucking is you don’t have to see the same people day after day, so today’s problem is not tomorrow’s. And focusing on the freedom and beauty of the road helps too.

“I ran California for 26 years, and I enjoyed all the scenery between Ohio and California,” Chenault says. “I enjoy the independence of not having to clock in at 7 a.m. or have anyone looking over your shoulder. And it’s a rewarding thing to know that you are successful and smart enough to get the job done.”

Knowing you don’t know it all

Putnam is grateful that he’s had Chenault to call for the past 20 years, and he knows he wouldn’t be the kind of trucker he is today without Ken.

“When I started trucking for Ken, I thought I knew a lot, but I didn’t know anything about trucking,” Putnam says.

Chenault taught him everything from tires to engine to oil work, but more importantly, he taught Putnam how to approach people. “He taught me to just be straightforward and honest. And to always think about safety and ‘the other guy.’”

For Chenault, that’s just part of doing the right thing.

“Truckers have the responsibility of dodging all the people who aren’t paying attention, and we have to find our way through cities we’ve never been to before. I call it ‘street smarts,’” he says. “As a driver one of the most important things you can do is just stay out of trouble.”

“Ken may just be a little hillbilly from down around Fort Knox, Kentucky,” Putnam says with a laugh, “but he looks out for everybody. He’s the best man I’ve ever known.”

]]>http://roadking.com/truckers/one-mans-mentor-helped-make-trucker-today/feed/1How to find a trucking mentor or be one — and why it’s good business for allhttp://roadking.com/truckers/find-trucking-mentor-one-good-business/ http://roadking.com/truckers/find-trucking-mentor-one-good-business/#commentsMon, 08 Sep 2014 13:28:35 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=10304For years, trucking knowledge and skills — from driving a truck to handling the industry’s business aspects — was passed from the “old hands” to those wanting to take the wheel. These were the drivers who did more than talk a good game. Truckers with many years at the wheel, willing to pass information, gut […]

]]>For years, trucking knowledge and skills — from driving a truck to handling the industry’s business aspects — was passed from the “old hands” to those wanting to take the wheel. These were the drivers who did more than talk a good game. Truckers with many years at the wheel, willing to pass information, gut instinct and hands-on experience knew that everyone would benefit from eager new drivers learning all they could about this complex industry.

Today’s trucking environment is different in many ways, but it still benefits from drivers sharing their knowledge and helping each other. If a new driver can find a veteran trucker to give them encouragement through rough patches or uncertain moments, everyone on the road will be better off for it. New drivers would do well to find a mentor. Veterans will find some surprising rewards in being one.

The experienced driver

Every driver believes in their abilities on the road, but handling a rig in bad weather or around four-wheelers more focused on texting than driving does not mean that you will be a good mentor.

First and foremost, you must be successful. Second, you must have in-the trenches experience where learning from mistakes paved the way to your success. Third, you must be able to take all you’ve learned and teach it to a less-experienced trucker.

Having driven a truck for nearly 25 years, I can definitively say it takes approximately five years and 500,000 miles to gain the experience needed to be a good trucker. It takes that long for the highway and the industry to toss enough roadblocks in your path for you to understand what trucking demands of an individual. Add five years beyond that as a successful owner-operator with your own authority in order to begin comprehending the business side of trucking. The more you know about the business, the more valuable you become to the individuals you mentor.

Finally, you need to have a passion for trucking and a desire to see other truckers have greater success than you did — being willing to give back to the industry beyond what you’ve received, one trucker at a time.

Finding a trucking mentor

The rookie who wants guidance from an experienced driver needs to find one who has all of the traits listed above. Look for the successful trucker who takes care of his vehicle, not necessarily the one with the shiniest, newest truck. Find someone who is well-groomed and presentable even after tying down an entire flatbed of steel girders.

Listen to the way a driver talks about the job. Find a problem-solver who focuses on finding a way to get things done. They should talk about revenue per week, month or quarter, rather than looking at it per mile. A tall tale about the road is fine if it’s for entertainment, but beware if every story features your potential mentor as the all-knowing hero. When mentors talk about their successes, it should be rooted in reality and humility.

A driver who can help you navigate the job probably has helped others. If you hear praise from three or four working drivers about your mentor, you’ve probably found a good one.

Once you’ve established a good working relationship, ask your mentor about books, podcasts, publications or courses that can help you achieve your ultimate trucking goals. While you’re on the subject of long-term goals, why not ask for their help in reaching them? See what they have to say about setting a hauling rate range, developing a freight lane, finding shippers, and more.

The more diversified their experience, the greater their value to you. Someone who has bought trucks and trailers and owned a trucking company will have experience both as a driver and in the operational, safety and general business of trucking. Even if you want to be a more successful company driver, a qualified mentor can help you understand the inner workings of a trucking company.

The mentor learns too

Having been a professional trucking business coach and mentor for more than 10 years, I’ve learned that a good mentor listens to others. A client of mine came to me trying to find a way to get his drivers more home time. He was the one who found a terrific solution. Now his drivers spend their time waiting for the next loads out at home. I now teach that driver retention tool to my other clients.

But the greatest benefit of being a mentor is knowing you’ve helped a trucker get his or her professional life in order; taking a unique lifestyle and teaching them how to earn a very good living from it.

Learning from those who traveled the road before is one trucking tradition that needs to continue. Mentors, start your engines.

]]>http://roadking.com/truckers/find-trucking-mentor-one-good-business/feed/0Why good health is good business for truckershttp://roadking.com/health/healthy-payday/ http://roadking.com/health/healthy-payday/#commentsThu, 03 Jan 2013 21:33:19 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=7301According to a recent Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, transportation workers have the highest obesity rate of any industry in the nation — 37.8 percent. Three years ago, the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine published a study of nearly 3,000 truckers that found 85 percent were overweight and 55 percent could be categorized as obese.

]]>According to a recent Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, transportation workers have the highest obesity rate of any industry in the nation — 37.8 percent. Three years ago, the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine published a study of nearly 3,000 truckers that found 85 percent were overweight and 55 percent could be categorized as obese.

The impact? Science magazine recently ran a story about the problem of excess weight among truckers, noting “Severely obese truck drivers are more likely to crash than drivers of normal weight in their first two years on the road, a study finds.” A 2007 study by the FMCSA stated “Commercial drivers are involved in more than 4,000 fatal crashes each year, and more than 13 percent of those are due to fatigue and other physical issues.”

Report after report points to truckers facing real health problems, with far too many choosing to ignore the dangers. That is a problem that the industry is attempting to address, and many truckers are taking steps to improve their health. Since there is plenty of advice about how truckers can fix how they feel, let’s look instead at how making healthier on-the-road choices is good for truckers from a financial perspective.

Goodbye dollars

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, back and shoulder strains and sprains among those in the trucking industry add up to “Days Away From Work” losses of $192,894,071 per year.

A cigarette habit also costs the driver. Smoking a pack a day means that well over $100 literally goes up in smoke every month. Bladder cancer and kidney stones are major hazards for tobacco users. Laser surgery for a kidney stone means several days off and several thousands of dollars if insurance doesn’t cover it.

Drinking one or more cans of non-diet soda a day means more trips to see the dentist and more extensive dental work to keep teeth in your mouth and pain-free. There’s also the issue of adding pounds from the sugars contained in every can. Drinking water puts more cash in the driver’s pocket on a daily basis.

The costs of prevention are far lower. Take a look at a couple of common scenarios on the road and how they could have been avoided.

Scene one: A rig stays parked in a truckstop while the trucker tries to tough out a bad case of the flu. Added to the physical misery is the hit his financial health is taking, because every day he’s laid up is a negative cash flow day. His expenses keep coming out of his pay, even while he’s flat on his back.

To stay well: He should have had a flu shot. It’s possible that eating more nutritionally balanced meals or taking a multi-vitamin could also have helped keep him healthy. Plus, something as simple as washing his hands frequently could have stopped the spread of germs that made him ill.

Scene two: That extra thirty pounds takes a toll on a driver. He’s having trouble getting the skids muscled out to the tailgate so the forklift operator can grab them from the dock. He shoves harder; the pallet sticks, and he hurts his back or his knees. He can’t drive for a week, which means his budget is going to need CPR.

To avoid injury: He could have addressed those extra pounds around his middle, which put tremendous stress on the knees and spine. He should have understood how to lift properly, using the leg muscles instead of the back.

No it’s not always easy to change diet and exercise habits. But if you want to keep your finances healthy, doesn’t it make sense to keep yourself healthy?

The True Cost of Sick Days

Drivers need to look at both lost revenue and fixed costs to see the full financial impact of illness or injury. Let’s do the math for an owner-operator who loses five days of driving due to a health issue. Medical expenses not included.

]]>http://roadking.com/health/healthy-payday/feed/2Owning & Driving for Your Own Trucking Companyhttp://roadking.com/truckers/double-duty/ http://roadking.com/truckers/double-duty/#commentsThu, 01 Nov 2012 12:06:40 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=7113An extremely challenging situation for the micro-motor carrier owner still hauling loads occurs when you’re also the boss for up to five other truckers.

]]>An extremely challenging situation for the micro-motor carrier owner still hauling loads occurs when you’re also the boss for up to five other truckers.

The first challenge is finding qualified truckers capable of doing the tasks your business requires, but also drivers who’ll operate your road equipment safely. There’s also a good chance one or more of your drivers will be a close friend or relative, which adds another dynamic to the mix.

Let’s examine this from the perspective of a driver-owner of a micro-motor carrier. I queried two small carrier owners on how they balance being a trucker and the boss simultaneously. (First names used to preserve anonymity.)

What can you expect to deal with as a boss that you never had to think about as a driver?

Buck: The workday isn’t finished when you turn off the key. Repairs, billing, load planning, issuing paychecks, etc., all happen after the rest of the employees go home.

James: You have to make calls on customers for all your trucks, not just the one you’re driving. In my particular situation, since my carrier has more than one owner, it was sometimes hard to get loads out of a customer, depending on who was making the call. Personalities don’t always blend between owner and customer, a lot like the way they sometimes don’t blend between the driving owner and other drivers.

How do you deal with a driver who isn’t performing or who doesn’t treat you as a boss?

Buck: Performance can be measured — miles driven, loads delivered, gross revenue, on-time pickups and deliveries, etc. Perception is harder to quantify. It is subjective and varies with each person.

When you’re a driver working for any company, you never think past the end of the hood. The environment directly around you is all that is in your thought process. When you own more than the truck you drive, your thought process goes up exponentially with the number of trucks. This also increases in conjunction with the distance your trucks’ runs increase. Your job isn’t done every day at the end of your 11 hours. As the boss, you get the late evening and early morning calls with problems when you should be finishing your sleeper berth or off-duty time.

James: Low performance is something that I expect for the first three to five weeks when a driver first comes to work for me. There are several factors that come with a new job that create distractions for the driver and his family. If the performance hasn’t picked up and the respect has started to diminish, I usually start looking for another driver.

If it’s an existing driver who’s been with me for two years or more, and we start having performance issues or respect that is being provided to him is not returned, I’ll usually start by having a talk with him to see why he’s at odds with me. Once the problem is identified, both parties have to work toward a common solution. If there is no solution to the problem, then it’s best that he looks for another employer.

How do you strike the balance of working alongside your drivers while also directing them so that your business succeeds?

Buck: At times the boss makes the hard calls. That is why you’re the boss and they’re not. If they want to call the shots, then they need to own their business.

Look at performance. If the job is done to your satisfaction, then let them go on. If not, find corrective measures and explain them to the employee. Judge the resulting performance, and if it’s satisfactory move on.

Never ask an employee to do a job you haven’t done yourself. Sometimes it’s best to do the crap job in front of the employees to set the example that you aren’t above them.

James: I had the great fortune of working with some of the greatest drivers in the world at a very young age, and I was their boss. I learned what professional driving was and how to spot a driver who carried a class 8 license. I feel like working with those drivers was great job training for me in my current position. It was a great point for me in my career. Sadly, most of the men I worked with have passed away or are not able to take care of themselves anymore. The best way I can explain it is that they showed me how to do the job through actions and not so many words. As long as everyone treats the other party with respect and courtesy, the job of being a driver and boss is probably better than the man that sits only at the desk and makes decisions.

James His family has been trucking since the 1960s. He currently operates nine trucks in his company, hauling dry bottom dump loads such as cattle feed ingredients.

Buck Trucking since 1982; he got his hauling authority in 1987 and has had up to four trucks operating under it. He primarily hauls livestock, refrigerated and bulk farm products.

]]>Climate control trucking isn’t hauling refrigerated freight; it’s more than that. Mike Blackston and Art Taylor, who have been doing climate control hauling for Legacy Transportation Services Inc., San José, Calif., discuss the unique requirements of this specialized transport.

What exactly is climate control hauling? How does it differ from running a refrigerated trailer?Blackston: Humidity is the main difference. For artwork or electronics, moisture is an enemy and needs to be carefully controlled. Humidity doesn’t matter to refrigeration.

Taylor: Climate control requires keeping constant temperature and humidity so equipment and other sensitive commodities like wine or artwork don’t get compromised or sweat. The key is both temperature and humidity must be set and monitored based on the items being transported and stay in that specific temperature/humidity range to avoid damage. We’re responsible for one-of-a-kind items that cannot be replaced.

What kind of documentation and oversight is required on climate control loads that is not needed on general freight or refrigerated loads?Taylor: Temperature and humidity are monitored, recorded and documented every 15 minutes through satellite tracking so we can see we are within temperature and humidity guidelines. If something spikes, both driver and Legacy management are notified immediately via email and phone. If it’s a temperature spike, I’ll stop and figure out why.

Why did you choose to do this kind of trucking?Blackston: You increase your chance of a load here because at Legacy most of our freight is climate-controlled. The merchandise is very valuable and the customers are always glad to see you and appreciative when you arrive with it safe and sound. In climate control, the trucker works directly with the end user, dealing with people who appreciate quality service — whether hauling artwork, electronics, etc. In produce or general freight you don’t typically deal with the actual customer.

Taylor: The quality of work you do is really appreciated — and this is true with our loads in general. Customers want a good job done and are willing to have us do that. Delivering the best quality work is important to me.

What’s been your most challenging load?Blackston: One time I hauled an exclusive-use, climate-controlled trailer. A small item was packed in a dishpack-sized (18”x18”x30”) metal case, then packed in another case inside another case. It was then suspended on spring hangers with shock sensors. We loaded and unloaded it with air skates.

We had special instructions, like how much to slow down for railroad tracks; if you were in snow you couldn’t put chains on, so you’d have to wait it out, etc. But this was summertime, so we were OK.

That was unusual — a 51’ climate-controlled trailer with something the size of a dishpack strapped against the wall. I figured that was pretty valuable.

Taylor: Every load’s a challenge in its own way. In Montana a couple of years ago, it was 45 degrees below zero, and we had to build a tent between the trailer and the building to make sure the equipment didn’t freeze getting into it. We had to build the tent and heat it up for a day before we could even unload.

Interesting loads I’ve had include artifacts on tour for the Smithsonian, wine collections, artwork and various types of machines. The Captain of the USS Comfort gave me a tour of the hospital ship after we unloaded; that was interesting to see how it operated.

What’s your favorite part about this specialized work?Blackston: Meeting the customer — whether it’s a physicist or the curator at a museum — you’re working with people who really enjoy what they do. They also appreciate quality customer service and professionalism, and I like to offer that. They notice someone who’s willing to take an extra step. I enjoy what I do.

Taylor: Talking to the different customers, meeting them, and learning about them. People do recognize and appreciate quality. They realize when you do a good job in transporting their sensitive goods. With another kind of delivery you might not have this kind of appreciation or contact with the customer through the whole process. I like being involved in all of this.

What would you say is the downside?Blackston: Other than a potential equipment failure, nothing. There’s always a chance you’ll be in a remote area where you’ll have an equipment failure and, even with your experience, a big temperature or humidity spike will cause damage to your load. That said, Legacy has a good system of checks-and-balances. If we have a problem, we notify them and they start working on it from the home base as well. I just always have that little fear in the back of my mind that the unit could go out and I can’t get it going in time to avoid damage.

Taylor: I don’t really think there is a downside. You have to stay on top of the regulations, but I don’t see any more regulation on climate control than other types of shipments. You just have to stay up-to-date in an ever-changing industry as far as laws are concerned.

What advice would you offer to a trucker who was interested in climate control hauling?Blackston: You’ve got to be very conscientious and customer service oriented. If you aren’t, and you’re not willing to give 110 percent, you shouldn’t get into it. If you’re hauling household goods now, you need to do the best you can do, to the best of your ability and then some. Be professional. If you aren’t customer service oriented, you won’t have that customer for long. If you’re not willing to give customer service, there’s always somebody out there who will.

Taylor: First of all, be willing to do a job that’s over and above the next driver. You have to go into it wanting to do the very best job that you can — you can’t just “try to get by.” This wouldn’t be the right field to get into if you can’t commit to delivering your very best. Be concerned about your appearance and your equipment — you need to be professional. Get involved with an agent who has the same quality and professional service goals as you. It’s a team effort. If you do these things, I think you’ll move forward. If you do a good job at what you do now, you’ll be noticed and be able to move into climate control hauling.

—

Mike Blackston

I started hauling grain when I was 18 and did that until 1981. Then I started hauling household moves. In 1985, I began hauling electronics too. I got out of household moves in 2000, and started doing just trade shows and electronics. I started hauling climate control shipments when I began working with Legacy in March 2002. I’ve also been a mobile exhibit driver at Legacy for several years.

Art Taylor

I started driving in 1981, hauling cattle for two years, then got into heavy haul. In 1990, I went with United Van Lines hauling special commodities. I’ve been hauling climate control since 1998, and I was Driver of the Year for United in 1999. In 2002, I started with Legacy Transportation Services, an agent for United. I was Driver of the Year for Legacy through United Van Lines in 2007.

]]>http://roadking.com/truckers/controlling-climate/feed/0Trucking for Twohttp://roadking.com/uncategorized/trucking-for-two/ http://roadking.com/uncategorized/trucking-for-two/#commentsTue, 01 Nov 2011 19:47:31 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=5702Most truckers who drive team are husband and wife, so the income supports a single family. But what makes the arrangement work for unrelated drivers? Sharing an 8-foot by 6-foot living space creates a whole list of challenges.

]]>Most truckers who drive team are husband and wife, so the income supports a single family. But what makes the arrangement work for unrelated drivers? Sharing an 8-foot by 6-foot living space creates a whole list of challenges. Not only are there two families to contribute financial support to, there’s the need to work out home time for separate family occasions like birthdays and weddings. Byron Molina-Reyes and Ivan Ocasio, who team for Barr-Nunn Transportation, talk about what makes their driving partnership work.

Why did you choose to drive team?

Molina-Reyes: To keep mileage high. The truck stays moving so that I’m not waiting for my 10-hour restart. And to have someone else besides myself going through the same experiences — two heads are better than one.

What are the three most important qualities someone should look for when searching for the other half of a team? Why?

Molina-Reyes: Similar interests, which would include ethical, moral and family values. These are important because that way we can stay on the same page with each other when it comes to home time, hygiene, future goals, and for purposes of building our relationship as team members. We respect each other for having the same background.

Ocasio: One quality is compatibility. As a professional team, and also because of spending so much time together, partners must have the capability to get along. Responsibility is important. Partners must both be responsible so that they can get along. And both must be capable drivers, to ensure the safety of the team.

What experiences did you have driving team with other partners?

Molina-Reyes: I have had bad and good experiences, but it was exactly that — “experience.” I find that even in the worst scenario I learn and build, and can make any negative into a positive. So any experience that might be viewed as a bad experience I say, “It is a learning experience.” I’ve had bad experiences where the partner was not working on the same page.

Ocasio: Before teaming with Byron, I had already had one other drive partner. Unfortunately, we were not compatible as drivers and I decided to look for another partner.

What’s the best part of running as a team?

Molina-Reyes: Staying on the move, making more miles and having someone to help in different situations.

Ocasio: With team drivers, the best part is that the truck can run many more miles. Also, both partners are always keeping each other company and looking after one another.

What’s the most challenging aspect of being a team driver?

Molina-Reyes: Trusting your life in the other driver’s hands, personal space and privacy. You have to have confidence in your partner as you sleep and know that your life is safe. It’s difficult to get space and privacy as a team driver, and that is why it’s so important to trust each other.

Ocasio: Not always will the drivers get along or agree on certain matters, which is one of the most challenging aspects. Also, different customs or habits that the partner might have that don’t agree with the other partner are also challenging.

How do you settle disagreements?

Molina-Reyes: Communication.

Ocasio: By discussing the issue and finding a compromise. Then we can get over a disagreement and continue.

How do you work it out so that each of you have some private space?

Molina-Reyes: I will stay in the sleeper, go take a shower, or take a walk if on downtime.

Ocasio: The driver gives the off-duty partner the privacy to sleep, and call his family. Also, because we have separate beds, we have our own space.

What driving schedule provides the greatest number of miles, yet is easiest on both drivers?

Ocasio: The schedule that we both agreed upon was to switch places every 10 hours, so the partner who is resting can have a sufficient amount of uninterrupted sleep. It works best for both of us.

How do you split the miles?

Molina-Reyes: Equally, regardless of how many miles any one driver covers.

How do you split up other duties?

Ocasio: The person who is driving does the fueling. It’s also like that when choosing loads, and when loading and unloading. With handling cash advances, we usually split the costs 50-50 with paying tolls and other necessities.

What miles do you need in order to make a decent paycheck for both?

Molina-Reyes: 5,600 miles per week.

Ocasio: 5,000 miles per week or 240,000 per year.

What if you have a scheduling conflict for a special event?

Molina-Reyes: It takes compromise and communication for all of the parties involved, including the dispatcher.

Ocasio: We try to tell each other in sufficient time if we have special events coming up so that we can adjust. Talking is our best method to overcome these problems.

Do you have families?

Molina-Reyes: Yes, and mine is getting bigger by the minute. I have three kids, ages 11, 9, and 18 months, and another on the way.

Ocasio: I have a wife, three sons and a daughter.

Any advice on how to be sure you make enough money to support two families?

Molina-Reyes: Be equal and fair, and have the same goals.

Ocasio: Good advice is to coordinate accurately, so partners know what miles to run and both are satisfied with the revenue. Then each will have the money necessary so they can be in good standing at home.

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Byron Molina-Reyes and Ivan Ocasio have been driving as a team for two years. They cover the South Region for Barr-Nunn and chose the company because they liked its flexibility on home time and the benefits offered were good for their growing families.

Byron Molina-Reyes Born in Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx, N.Y., Molina-Reyes has always enjoyed driving, traveling to different places and learning new cultures. Trucking was a natural career choice. In 2008 he attended Roadmaster School in Kissimmee, Fla. He worked OTR for two training carriers and then went to work for FedEx Ground, where he began driving with Ocasio before moving to Barr-Nunn.

Ivan Ocasio Ocasio’s father worked in a warehouse and he helped out at an early age. He worked alongside truckers and it always seemed an interesting career. After moving to Orlando from Puerto Rico, he had the opportunity to drive and gladly took it. He’s been driving trucks since the summer of 2008, beginning with flatbeds. He decided to make a change and thought team driving would suit him. He had opportunities to work for several different carriers, but finally settled at FedEx Ground. Before teaming with Molina-Reyes he drove with another partner, but soon realized they didn’t have compatible work styles. Molina-Reyes was his next partner at FedEx and they moved to Barr-Nunn last year.

]]>http://roadking.com/uncategorized/trucking-for-two/feed/1Following the Career Path of a Truck-Driving Parenthttp://roadking.com/truckers/rig-rats/ http://roadking.com/truckers/rig-rats/#commentsMon, 02 May 2011 19:03:24 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=4978Is it something in the genes that leads to a love of the open road? Or does merely spending time with a trucker make the job so attractive?

]]>Is it something in the genes that leads to a love of the open road? Or does merely spending time with a trucker make the job so attractive? You start to wonder when you meet so many truckers with a dad or mom who also drive. Whether nature or nurture, parent and child drivers share a bond that lasts a lifetime and brings them closer with each mile logged.

Josh and Ray Haynestock

Ray Haynestock grew up in Iowa, helping out his dad, who was a farmer and truck driver. So it was only natural that he would eventually combine the two. At 21 he got a job hauling livestock, and after about five years he bought his own truck. His son Josh was a big fan.

“I was in a truck from the day I was born, pretty much,” Josh says.

Ray took him out on the road to Pennsylvania when Josh was just 4 years old. “I’ll never forget that first time,” the proud papa says. “He missed his mama, but other than that he watched and learned. He’s been alongside me with the trucks since he was in kindergarten.”

As the years went by, Ray wanted to be home with his family, so he started his own trucking business. He and Josh would hit the road in a truck two weeks of every summer. Josh learned how to drive by the time he was 12, and he spent a good deal of his spare time at his dad’s business.

“He had 15 trucks and a shop, so I was always working down in the shop,” Josh recalls.

“I think he didn’t always like it that his dad made him work when he was a teenager,” Ray says with a chuckle.

He must have liked it well enough. Josh started driving for his dad locally at 18, then bought his own truck at 22.

“I went to college for a year, and that made me know that I wanted to drive a truck,” Josh says. “It’s all I ever wanted to do.”

Ray, meanwhile, decided a few years back that he wanted to get back on the road himself. Both father and son are leased to Long Haul Trucking out of Minnesota.

“The two of us, oh, we probably talk a couple of hours every day,” Ray says. “I’m very fortunate as a dad that we can be that close, and trucking is part of that bond.”

Heather and Sherri Fronko

When Heather Fronko started the second grade, she was the only kid in class who had been to 48 states and Canada. That’s because she rode in a truck since she was 5 weeks old.

Heather’s mom, Sherri Fronko, thought that she would be a pilot when she was younger, but after years riding long hauls with her husband she studied to get her CDL in 1991 instead. When she had Heather, she took her along for the ride. Sherri drove nights and her husband drove days while Sherri home schooled Heather for five hours each day.

“I hate to say it, but I bet that kid saw every mall in the country. But it got tough, and I felt like she needed to be in school to get a good education,” says Sherri. “I don’t regret any of it. I think the road fueled Heather.”

“I had so many fun adventures. We would be in a place where it was snowing one day, then in a day or two we would be in the sun on the beach,” says Heather, now 22 and a driver herself. “I knew when I was 17 I was definitely getting my CDL. I had a friend who said I couldn’t do it, so I had to prove him wrong.”

The mother-daughter duo now drive for the same trucking company in Coldwater, Mich., and are proud members of the Women in Trucking Association. Last summer, they joined Women in Trucking President and CEO Ellen Voie in getting tattoos of the group’s logo on their right shoulders to show their dedication to women in the trucking industry.

“I like the fact that I’m doing something that people don’t regard as a woman’s job, even less back when my mom started,” says Heather. “I like the challenge. When I get discouraged and someone thinks women shouldn’t be out on the road, it pushes me to get out there and prove them wrong.”

Sherri doesn’t take her two younger children out on hauls during the school year these days, but she spends all summer out on the open road and brings them along often. Heather, who is expecting her first child in June, plans to have her baby boy in the truck, along for the ride like she was. As for their next adventure, mom and daughter will be featured in an episode of a Discovery Health show titled I’m Pregnant … and a Truck Driver!

“My true love is the road. I love that Heather is on the road too,” says Sherri. “It’s not about her following in my footsteps. It’s just empowering if you can do something like this and feel comfortable doing it.”

]]>http://roadking.com/truckers/rig-rats/feed/14Step By Stephttp://roadking.com/uncategorized/step-by-step/ http://roadking.com/uncategorized/step-by-step/#commentsThu, 01 Jul 2010 14:00:14 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=3574Rolling landscape, blue sky in your windshield—the independent American Dream makes truckers want their own companies. That requires trucking knowledge, dedication, business savvy and leaps of faith. Most of all, you must learn from mistakes and not repeat them.

]]>Rolling landscape, blue sky in your windshield—the independent American Dream makes truckers want their own companies. That requires trucking knowledge, dedication, business savvy and leaps of faith. Most of all, you must learn from mistakes and not repeat them.

Doug Bench and his son Zach, owners of CrossXLine Transportation in Blackfoot, Idaho, have traveled that path to trucking success. They shared their experience with Driver’s Seat.

Doug, you went from growing potatoes to growing a motor carrier. Was this your plan?

My plan has always been to farm and own a trucking company. I wanted to buy OTR trucks and deliver our own potatoes from the farm. My ex-father-in-law “didn’t know of a quicker way to go broke than to buy trucks.” I told him for every trucking company failure … I could find a success.

How did you start?

I received the best advice from the truck sales rep: “Become a company driver for a year and keep detailed records. Learn to make money as a company driver, then buy the truck and lease on to a good small carrier.” I did just that — got a company driver position at a local trucking company and spent my time researching the business of trucking. I still closely follow the business model I learned as a company driver.

Then I was really blessed leasing on with a very solid, small carrier who had an awesome customer base and positive image. Being leased on with that carrier gave me the chance to make mistakes, recover and learn. After three years, I got my hauling authority. Then I drove my butt off out of fear of failing.

I enjoyed being a lease operator. I was making good money, had two trucks leased on and was ready to add five more when the younger generation took over the company and changed the contract. It made me a glorified company driver with my own truck. I had to leave in order to make the profit margin worth being in business.

What business planning did you do before the big leap to your own authority?

Pretty simple: revenues vs. expenses and having a target to hit every month. I opened up a business account with my bank, received professional counsel from a good attorney and my accountant. I also asked a lot of other owner-operators for advice and looked at many large company O-O lease programs.

Zach, how old were you when your dad started trucking?

I was around 13 when Dad started driving. My initial reaction was “cool” because I loved big trucks. I remember the first trip I took with him to Arkansas; it was the coolest thing in the world, riding in the big truck with my dad.

Did you begin your career driving for him?

No, my first truck-driving job was for a local construction company when I was 19.

Doug, when was it decided that Zach was going to be part of the company?

It’s been my intention to have my three sons working together in a family business. Zach has done really well. He bought his own truck at 21 after one of the drivers commented that, as a dispatcher, “he didn’t know what it was like being on the road.”

He ran for two years to Ohio and back to Montana. He’s made way above the average income for a 23-year-old. He invested his savings into the business and is now our full-time dispatcher, doing a very good job making our independents money.

What was your first big mistake in business? Did it change your approach?

Trusting in friends who came asking me to help them. I learned real quick you can’t give someone success in business. Have a fair contract and never waver from it. Whether you’re running a farm or a trucking company, you have to run it like a business.

Any other setbacks in the first years?

I’ve been real fortunate with very few major equipment breakdowns. I think the biggest stumbling blocks were taxes and rebuilding a motor instead of putting that money towards a new truck. I learned to maintain my trucks well, but someday they have to be replaced if you’re growing a company. It just doesn’t make a heck of a lot of sense to have your favorite truck sitting around not generating money.

Zach, what’s the most challenging thing you do now?

Finding loads for our drivers every day that pay well, and also keeping up with drivers’ needs, problems, questions and concerns, to ensure they are successful owner- operators.

What percentage of customer to broker loads do you handle? Do you use a load board?

Do your research. Set a profit target each month and know your customer base will meet it. Don’t think you can survive from just the load boards. Stay away from factoring if at all possible. If you can’t operate on your own money or a cheap line of credit from your local bank, it might be better to lease on with a good carrier. By the time you add up all the increased costs of business to have your own authority, in many cases it’d be a whole lot simpler to run under a carrier.

What is the minimum cash amount for day-to-day operations to start a trucking company?

We figure it costs around $17,000 to add each truck until the money starts flowing.

Your biggest challenges today?

Learning to sit in this dang office chair. I’d much rather be driving. It’s been a hard transition, stepping out of my truck and trusting the driver to represent my company with customers who I used to see each week. We’re actively developing a new customer base and creating lanes for the trucks we’re adding.

What’s the future of trucking for small motor carriers?

With the new CSA 2010 regulations coming, us small guys willing to adjust our operations and do things right can service our customers much more efficiently than the larger carriers pushing drivers by dispatchers’ mismanagement. I have a very positive outlook for our industry.”